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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26543227">Eclipse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/howlsmovingiceskates/pseuds/howlsmovingiceskates'>howlsmovingiceskates</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Gang World, Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, BAMF Katsuki Yuuri, Blood and Injury, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I'm going to let you guys guess who the godfather is, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mafia AU, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Katsuki Yuuri, Possessive Victor Nikiforov, Prince Katsuki Yuuri, Protective Victor Nikiforov, References to Drugs, Romantic Soulmates, Sleepy Cuddles, Soulbonds, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, They're so awkward in the first few chapters, aka the royal mafia bodyguard and soulmate au no one asked for, bodyguard viktor nikiforov, do not copy to another site, no beta we die like men, they warm up to each other quickly though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:15:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26543227</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/howlsmovingiceskates/pseuds/howlsmovingiceskates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing up in the castle, Yuuri believed he'd never meet his soulmate. Life as the prince of Hasetsu is all he's ever known. Until one day, he gets taken from his life as the prince and must make a decision. Now, at 23 years of age, Prince Katsuki must settle unrest in the kingdom by any means necessary. With attacks on the castle, the king and queen decide it's time for Yuuri to have a bodyguard to call his own.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Eclipses shroud the world in utter darkness, allowing a sliver of time for each individual to make changes to their lives. Some use this brief period of time to grow. Others use it to let go of their undesirable circumstances. Katsuki Yuuri uses this time to get the things he wants.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The streets remained silent while Yuuri walked along the mostly empty road. On an average day, the streets of Hasetsu bustle with people going from vendor to vendor even when the moon begins to shine high in the sky. With mundane chatter floating through the air, walking becomes a calming past time. The smell of street food fills the markets, never failing to make stomachs growl. With winter approaching, families bundle up and hold steaming cups of warm liquids. A stark contrast to Summer time, when people dressed in a lot less and rushed to eat frozen treats before they melted. This made being stuck in the palace all day feel stifling. Why be inside when life bustles all around town?</p><p>Tonight, however, seemed different. Something buzzed in the air, a sort of panic as people rushed home, whispers of warning being passed between families. Perhaps a storm is beginning to brew. Only a few people could be seen now; shopkeepers and vendors closing up, all walking quickly as if running away from something unknown to the crown prince. </p><p>Deciding he should probably get back to the palace sooner rather than later, Yuuri ducks into a dark alleyway, relying on the stars above to guide his way out. He just needed to go through a couple more streets to get back to the main road that would take him to the secret passage way he came through. Depending on your perspective, this decision is the start of his downfall. This, however, is the decision where our story begins. </p><p>Earlier that day, fourteen year old Katsuki Yuuri had been subjected to numerous bland meetings about laws and taxes. He’d been attending these meetings since he turned thirteen, having been told that he has to learn how to be a king. Apparently learning history, math, five languages, etiquette, etcetera isn’t enough. He didn’t think it fair that his sister, Mari, didn’t need to sit through these meetings. Being older than him, she knows more about the land, and is decidedly more fit to rule. But since he is the son, he is the heir to the throne. </p><p>Where Yuuri found himself in the midst of repetitive meetings, Mari found herself in the middle of preparations to be married off to another kingdom. She managed to put off the marriage for as long as possible, hoping that her soulmate would pop up, but now that time had passed. The newly crowned king of Igoria’s patience has worn thin. He needs a queen, and Mari is meant to fill the role. </p><p>With a meeting too boring to know what’s going on, and an anxiety attack building up from all the pressures of being prince, Yuuri decides it’s high time to take a break. In other words, time for him to run away from responsibilities, just for a short while at least. </p><p>Few things make living in a giant castle where everyone watches your every move bearable. The existence of a hundred ways to hide and escape helped immensely. Yuuri’s never been one for being around people, so he’s used every possible opportunity to explore and devise ways to get out without being seen. Leaving the meeting room, Yuuri walks down the corridor to an old tapestry that bears his family’s coat of arms. Looking up and down the grand hallway to make sure no one is around, Yuuri reaches behind the tapestry and pushes on the bricks, revealing a secret door. Taking one last glance around, Yuuri slips behind the tapestry into the passage, closing the door behind him. </p><p>The darkness shrouds him, bringing an odd sense of comfort. He knows this path well enough to not need a light, so he doesn’t bother lighting the torches that lined the walls. Bending down, Yuuri feels around the floor before his hands make contact with a change of clothes. He’s feeling lazy, so he only takes the oversized sweatshirt and puts it over his white button up shirt. Grabbing the pair of sunglasses, hat, and mask, Yuuri starts making his way down the tunnel.</p><p>Too many people know what he looks like for him to be able to go out without some kind of disguise. In a way, that too made things suffocating, but Yuuri would rather be outside the palace walls when he panics than inside. At least no one bats an eye in his direction and crowds him in town. He has no way of telling how long this tunnel goes on for, but by the time he walks out into the sunlight, he feels better. </p><p>He comes out of the tunnel in a small alleyway between old buildings. No one really ever bothers coming here. Dead ends with spaces barely big enough for an adult to fit through aren’t exactly the most appealing of places to spend your time at. Still, even as absurd as it is for Yuuri to step into the streets of Hasetsu, no one notices the prince joining their numbers.</p><p>Yuuri instantly notices a distinct lack of people milling about. He decides not to worry about it too much, it could easily just be one of those days where families and friends felt more comfortable at home. Or they know bad weather is coming. No one ever bothers to tell him what the weather will be like. They always assume he’d stay in the castle unless he had some political business. So now, if he got caught in the rain, he got caught in the rain, or in this case, snow. The citizens live differently though. They know how to tell when to stay home to avoid precipitation. </p><p>He walks through the streets, finding himself coming to peace with current circumstances during his walk. The meeting he abandoned would be about taxing the people, and he didn’t want to be a part of that. He knows his opinion would be dismissed, being deemed ‘too young and ignorant’ to know what the people wanted and how to govern the land. He knows though, that they shouldn’t add more taxes onto the citizens plates. They have plenty of money, everything is funded well, and they aren’t in the middle of a war. Everything suggested at the meeting is the advisors pure greed, and he could do nothing about it. </p><p>“That looks like a good one, yeah?” Yuuri hears a man speaking quietly to his right, and briefly glances in his direction. He had stopped to look at some jewelry, knowing he wouldn’t buy, but wanting to admire the handiwork of his subjects. The man who talked is dressed in black, and has no distinguishing features about him. He looks like how Yuuri tries to look.</p><p>“Yeah, he looks good.” Another man responds just as quietly, and just as indistinguishable. </p><p>The young jewelry vendor pulls Yuuri’s attention away from the two men conversing, “Anything catch your eye?” she asks, looking at him with hopeful eyes. </p><p>He shrinks in on himself and shakes his head, turning away. He feels too ashamed to say anything, because he has no money to buy anything with. He is their prince, and he can’t help them. He’s useless. He’s pathetic. How is he supposed to be king someday? It barely makes sense to him. He doesn’t even have the basic social skills to at least say nothing at the stall caught his eye (even if that was a lie).</p><p>People seem to blend together while Yuuri walks down the road, deep in thought. He wonders what would happen if he disappeared. Would his sister not have to marry someone she didn’t want to? Would she be the successor of the crown? Would they even look for him? Because based on past experience, they don’t notice he’s gone when he sneaks out. Would they even worry? Probably not. Nobody cares. Nobody notices. If they did he’d have a therapist. Well...maybe. The king probably wouldn’t get him a therapist no matter what because it’d make him and the country appear weak.</p><p>What started as a way to relieve stress and feel better turned into something that only made things worse. He should’ve avoided people altogether, but he wanted to know what his subjects thought of him and his father. Why did he ever think meeting his subjects a good idea on a day like today? Just the thought of talking to them gave him anxiety.</p><p>Truthfully speaking, Yuuri has zero clue where his feet are taking him. Or what time it is. The sun is beginning to go down, and Yuuri hasn't even noticed it. He should have though, given the concerning lack of people populating the streets. Hardly anyone mills about, and he doesn’t notice until the sun falls behind the mountains in the distance. </p><p>Feeling a bout of panic rise up from not knowing the time or where he is, Yuuri jerks his head up to look at the sky. The stars aren’t out yet, and he doesn’t recognize the buildings around him. He’s never been to this part of town before. The cold air grips him, and loneliness hugs his soul. He just wants to go home. His senses heighten and his anxiety rises. He shouldn’t be here. </p><p>Quickly turning around and trying to go back the way he came, Yuuri hightails it down the road, hoping to come to a point he recognizes. Run down places, empty and seemingly devoid of life, surround him. What little shops exist clearly take what extra precautions they can to avoid theft. Flowers in pots and small patches of grass wilt, and the air hurts to breathe. No wonder the flowers are dead; the air stinks of something putrid, a scent he hopes to never smell again. He didn’t even know something could smell so bad. </p><p>The stars are becoming visible, and now Yuuri can start using them to find his way back home. He hears voices approaching, and finds himself too scared to be seen, so he ducks into an alleyway. It appears to go all the way through, so he watches the sky as he walks to determine where he should go next, hoping it’d lead him home. </p><p>However, Yuuri never makes it to the end of the alley. In a split second, a hand covers his mouth with a sweet smelling cloth as arms grab him from behind. He tries to struggle, but the loss of sight when a sack gets pulled over his head causes him to panic too much, and all the energy in his body immediately leaves. The last thing he registers before passing out is the sensation of his body being dragged away.</p>
<hr/><p>“Holy shit,” he hears someone exclaim, “someone go get me my phone.”</p><p>Yuuri has a hard time waking up. He feels groggy and sick. His head throbs and his stomach flips. He can smell cigarettes in the air, and that alone makes him gag. Forcing himself to swallow the bile rising up, he tries to perform basic meditations to calm down. He only got to counting to the number twelve before he gave up. In this situation, counting sure as hell isn’t enough to calm him. He can’t even see a thing, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to.</p><p>“I think we picked your grandson off the streets.” he hears the same man say to someone on the phone. At least, that’s what he assumes. “We’ll wait here for you.” Given that he hasn’t actually heard anyone but the same guy speak, Yuuri knows his assumptions to be correct.</p><p>“Everyone, pick this place up. The Oyabun will be here in ten minutes!” Yuuri has absolutely no clue what that meant, but it can’t be good news for him. </p><p>He coughs, unintentionally letting his captors know he is awake. Still, maybe they’d be kind enough to get him some water once they realized he gained consciousness? It’s a long shot, but, hey, a kid can hope. That is, if they ever took this thing off his head. It makes breathing harder, and does nothing to quell his anxieties. He shivers, finding it impossible to stop. </p><p>He waits, with no one paying any bit of attention to him. At least that brought the feeling of home to this unfamiliar place. He knows though, that as soon as he is able to see, that false sense of security will be gone entirely. At least for now, he can pretend to be somewhere safe. </p><p>Minutes pass by, and he grows all the more anxious. He blocks out as much sound as he can, trying to be as ignorant as possible for his own mental wellbeing. Though it turns out, he didn’t need to do that. As the bag lifted off his head, the face of his grandfather, the former king who was forced to abdicate the throne, greets him </p><p>Yuuri is taken back. He had long thought his grandfather dead. Was he seeing things right? Couldn’t this just be a side effect of the trauma he’s been through in the last who knows how long? Despite all the questions running through his head, he knows this is indeed his grandfather. The mole by his right eye is still there, and his smile is as kind as ever. </p><p>“Yuuri…” he speaks, “it’s been so long since I last saw you. Oh how you’ve grown.” His grandpa unties his hands from the chair and gently holds them in his own, kneeling at eye level.</p><p>Overcome with emotions he can’t name, Yuuri leaps forward and hugs his grandfather, tears flowing down his cheeks. “I thought you were dead!”</p><p>His grandfather motions for everyone to leave the room as he wraps his arms around his grandchild for the first time in six years. “Who told you I died?” he asks, acting as though Yuuri had just told him the most absurd rumor. Maybe he had.</p><p>“My mom, dad, Mari, the advisors. They all said it. They all told me you left the crown because you were too sick to rule.” he cries, clutching onto the one man he knows he can trust. </p><p>“Oh Yuuri…” his grandfather coos, “I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” He gently pushes Yuuri back so he can get a good look at him. He reaches up and wipes at Yuuri’s never ending tears. “I’m afraid when you go back to the castle, you can’t ever let them know you know I’m alive.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Because it’s safer for them to think you never met me.”</p><p>“Will I never be able to see you again after I leave?”</p><p>“That depends, do you want to see me again? Even if I’m a bad guy?”</p><p>Yuuri nods, using the sleeve of his sweatshirt to wipe snot off his face, “I know you’re not really a bad guy. I know the advisors are all greedy, and my dad let’s them be. You can’t be worse than them.”</p><p>His grandfather smiles sadly, “You already know so much, don’t you? I’ll tell you what, I’ll let you stay here for a few days, and during that time you can decide if you want to be my apprentice or not. If you don’t want anything to do with me after those days, no worries,we can forget about all of this.”</p><p>“Okay, I’d like that.” Yuuri agrees. His grandfather helps him out of the chair, and takes him back to his house, a large mansion hidden deep in the mountains. His grandfather teaches him about being a leader, about caring for the people who follow him, about life as a member of organized crime. He loves every second of it.</p><p>Yuuri returns to the castle three days later. He never spoke of what happened, but everyone knows he changed. They could see it in the way he held himself, in the way he spoke, and in the way his eyes shined. The Katsuki Yuuri they knew died the day he went missing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Viktor starts his first day as bodyguard to the Prince of Hasetsu, and finds himself struggling to keep his eyes and hands off his client.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The palace walls stand intimidatingly high. Steps echo on the wooden floors throughout the hallway as the newly hired bodyguard walks to the throne room. His gaze darts around as he sizes up the architecture. Later, he’ll come back and get a closer look at everything, but for now, just knowing the basic layout of the castle will have to be enough. He studied the entire layout of the castle on blueprints before he arrived because he did not want to have to ask for directions and look incompetent. He’s also already memorized the locations of all the safe rooms. The attacks on the palace are only getting stronger and more frequent, so he wants to be prepared in case they have an incident on his first day. After all, they hired him to protect the prince from these attacks.</p>
<p>Growing up, Viktor always dreamed of entering the castle. He saw the enormous palace up close for the first time when he moved from St. Petersburg to Hasetsu. He had been seven then. He had never seen such a magnificent building. It’s pillars stand tall, a clear sign of the strength and wealth of the small kingdom. A river runs by it, providing a source of water to the town. Gardens encompass the land, bringing beautiful colors to the dull grey of stone. The building itself must be at least a mile or two long. He has no idea how to fully grasp the size of the place.</p>
<p>He never thought he’d find himself in a position where he could enter the grand estate. Yet, here he is, walking down the egregiously long corridor. Admittedly, he took this job because he’s always been drawn to the crown prince of the nation. Every time he sees him on TV he’s completely enamoured, ready to throw everything down to protect the prince. Something about him draws Viktor in, but he can’t put his finger on it. It’s almost a primal instinct calling from within. It’s ridiculous, he knows, but sometimes he likes to entertain the idea that it’s his soul calling for its other half.</p>
<p>He comes upon enormously large doors, pausing as guards move to open them for his grand entrance. Suddenly overcome with nerves, Viktor fusses with his sleeves, pretending to pick off lint. He knows, logically, there’s no reason for him to be nervous. He’s already been hired, and as a bodyguard he’ll be around the royal family for the better parts of his days. Still, first meeting impressions are incredibly important, and he’s scared he’ll fuck this up.</p>
<p>The doors open, and Viktor walks into the room. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Prince Yuuri Katsuki sitting on his throne, to the right of the king, with his legs crossed, an elbow on the arm rest supporting his head, looking completely ethereal. The air leaves Viktor’s lungs, like someone has kicked him and knocked the wind out of him. He can’t look away from the prince sitting on the throne. Something innate calls to him, screaming to never look away from the young man in front of him. </p>
<p>The prince wears a blue tailcoat with adorning silver chains holding the piece together. His black hair is left untouched and falls in soft curls, a stark contrast to the slicked back style Viktor is so used to seeing in pictures and videos. He also wears blue rimmed glasses, making his eyes appear ever so slightly bigger than they are. Briefly, Viktor wonders why he has never seen the man wear glasses, but he quickly throws those thoughts out the window. He can’t afford to hypothesize why the prince looks so different in person right now. </p>
<p>Blue seems to be his color, and Viktor can’t help when his mind strays to thoughts about being soulmates. Can he allow himself to think this is a hot look on the prince? No, he really shouldn’t be thinking things like that. He is here to protect the prince, not date him. He can’t get attached.</p>
<p>He hasn’t even registered the king and queen sitting in their respective thrones, having been so caught up in the prince. <i>Fuck.</i>  </p>
<p>“Mr. Viktor Nikiforov, Your Majesty.” Someone off to the side announces his presence, though he can’t be bothered to turn and see who. </p>
<p>“Mr. Nikiforov,” the king’s quiet but demanding voice brings him out of his trance, “thank you for coming. I trust your travel’s were well?”</p>
<p>“Yes, your majesty.” Viktor bows, waiting five seconds before daring to straighten up to look at the royal family in front of him.</p>
<p>“Prince Katsuki, this is your new bodyguard.” The queen says, leaning forward a bit to look at her son. </p>
<p>Viktor’s eyes move to the prince, eager to gauge his reaction. The prince says nothing, just trails his eyes up and down Viktor’s body and gives a slight nod. Viktor hopes he chose his attire correctly. He’d hate to disappoint the prince. Since winter is beginning to wrap the world in its throes, he decided on a black turtleneck under a tan trench coat. His black slacks fit loosely around his legs, and dress shoes tight around his feet. He prefers this outfit; it gives him just the right amount of confidence to command a powerful army should he need to.</p>
<p>He’s prepared to receive a specific dress code later, once he and the prince converse and establish their relationship to each other. In the end, it all depends on the prince and his preferences. He’s ecstatic to find out what role the prince wants him to fill. Viktor will be whatever the prince wants him to be.</p>
<p>“Your Majesty, you have a meeting to attend to.” The same person who announced Viktor’s arrival speaks again. This time Viktor turns to see who spoke, and recognizes him as the head butler, Mr. Nakamura. </p>
<p>“Yes, very well. I’ll leave the prince in your care, Mr. Nikiforov.” The king says, standing from his throne. The queen follows suit, but the prince stays. In just a few seconds, only Viktor and the prince remain in the throne room, save for a pair of guards near the doors.</p>
<p>Viktor stands in place, unmoving. Now that his eyes aren’t obligated to be somewhere else, he stares at the prince. Prince Katsuki seems embarrassed by this, squirming in his seat. So far, Viktor has been able to observe that the prince is timid and likely self-conscious. Of course, the bodyguard has much to learn of the raven haired boy in front of him. Viktor needs to know the prince’s daily routines, what allergies he has, who he keeps company with, and a bunch of other basic things that his employers touched upon in the folder of information given to him by the head of security. He’s memorized it all already. But the things he needs to know are far different from things he <i>wants</i> to know. He wants to know how the prince takes his tea, what his favorite flower is, what he does in his down time, how many blankets he likes to sleep with, etcetera.</p>
<p>“So, you’re my bodyguard?” Prince Katsuki finally breaks the silence of the room, his voice sounding as shy as he looks. Viktor’s not surprised, and his resolve to protect the crown prince only strengthens.</p>
<p>“Yes, Your Royal Highness.” Viktor bows his head, attempting to remain level headed.</p>
<p>“You’re not what I was expecting.” Katsuki deadpans, voice quiet.</p>
<p>“Oh? May I inquire what it was you were expecting?” Viktor looks at him curiously, finding himself taking an involuntary step closer. He’s gravitating towards the younger man, unable to push back the desire to be closer.</p>
<p>“Someone with more muscles. Scars.” The prince looks down at his hands, starting to pick at his fingernails. Viktor wants nothing more than to reach out and stop him, to assure him there’s nothing to worry about.</p>
<p>The bodyguard chuckles, “I assure you, Your Highness, that I have both muscles and scars.”</p>
<p>The prince blushes a bright, beautiful red. Viktor forces himself to stay rooted where he stands. It would do no good to approach the crown prince, no matter how desperately his body wants him to. </p>
<p>They stay like that for a while. Prince Katsuki a blushing mess and Viktor reveling in the sight. All too soon the prince stands from his throne and walks past Viktor. Viktor immediately follows the man out of the room, maintaining a five foot distance between them. It’s partly because of proper etiquette, and partly because he knows if he gets any closer he won’t be able to stop himself from reaching for the prince’s hand. He distracts himself by taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, looking for any sign of danger approaching as his eyes dart back and forth.</p>
<p>Prince Yuuri Katsuki leads him up a set of ornate stairs. It’s a large staircase both in width and length. Viktor doubts the elderly guests and politicians are able to walk such stairs, and makes a mental note to find the best way to get the prince upstairs should he ever be incapable of walking up them.</p>
<p>The stairs open to a large hallway on the second floor, then continue on to the third. It’s a mercy the crown prince doesn’t go up the second set of stairs to the third floor. Instead, he takes a right and walks a ways down the hall to a set of large doors. The guard standing near said doors quickly opens them for the man and his bodyguard.</p>
<p>A gorgeous library greets him as he steps through the door’s threshold. Shelves go as high as the ceiling, and scattered around the entire room are places to sit and read. A table covered with papers and books sits in the middle of the room, where someone has definitely been working hard. </p>
<p>The prince walks around the room until he finds the shelf he is looking for. Climbing on the ladder left by the bookcase, he pulls out a book and makes his way back down. Viktor can tell the man doesn’t seem as bothered by his presence as he thought he’d be. He definitely holds a level of discomfort, that much evident to Viktor’s observant eyes, but for the most part the prince tries to hide it. Viktor figures it must be from having to be around so many people all the time. It must get tiring, never being able to have a moment to yourself. </p>
<p>Viktor follows him to a more secluded part of the library. It’s cozier over here. Less studious, more relaxing. He knows he’d never have a day off, but he decides that this is where he’ll be able to breathe and unwind when the prince brings him here. The man in question sits down in a white, plush armchair, already opening his book to read. Viktor stands off to the side, looking around the library. He knows that on the other end of the room, if you pull on the book titled <i>Of Cheese and Furniture</i> by Hannah Jay, the shelf will flip and reveal a small secret room that’s only purpose is to be used in case of emergency. He calculates how long it’d take to get the prince there in case anything happens (51 seconds in case you were curious), and stores that knowledge away for later.</p>
<p>“You can sit, you know,” the prince says, turning a page in his book, “you don’t have to stand all the time.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Your Highness,” Viktor perches on the opposite chair to the prince, not quite relaxing in the same way his client does.</p>
<p>“I’d feel better if you called me Yuuri.” he adds, glancing at Viktor.</p>
<p>“Yes, Your-Yuuri.” Viktor catches himself. </p>
<p>Yuuri smiles at Viktor’s blunder, using the book to hide his face.</p>
<p>Viktor is eager to find out what Yuuri’s true personality looks like. He wants to peel away all his layers and see what makes him Yuuri, Prince of Hasetsu. He is so inexplicably drawn to the man. He wonders, is the feeling mutual? Or is he merely blinded by the prince’s attractiveness? The thought of them being soulmates crosses his mind once again, unbidden but not entirely unwelcome. </p>
<p>He wants to know what Yuuri’s soulmark looks like, and if he has met his soulmate yet. It’s not likely he has, or else the country would know, but it could be something kept quiet. Yuuri’s soulmate could be someone that would cause a scandal if they were together, a maid or a criminal or someone damaging to the crown. </p>
<p>Viktor thinks back to when his mark first appeared on the bottom of his foot. He can’t remember the exact day it showed up, but he knows it came during the winter. Four year old Viktor Nikiforov had taken his boot off to stick his foor deep into the snow while the mark burned its way onto his skin. His mark took shape as a silvery blue snowflake and a golden pink cherry blossom twined together so perfectly sometimes it’s hard to tell the two shapes apart. It’s a symbol of equality, he thinks. The snowflake and cherry blossom are merged together, completely inseparable, just like how he and his soulmate will be. Since the appearance of his mark, winter has been his favorite season.</p>
<p>Society reveres soulmates. Viktor grew up excited to meet his soulmate one day. He’s always imagined it’d be some grand and romantic meeting, like in the movies. He’s had countless fantasies about meeting during the winter, when snow covers the ground and the frost bites at his nose. He’d be walking down the streets when he sees the person he was destined to be with. He always hoped he’d know who it was just by seeing them. But alas, as time passed, Viktor came to realize he probably would never get such a first meeting. After all, the mark rests on his foot, so it will be on his soulmate’s foot too. He’s gone twenty seven years not knowing if he’s ever met his soulmate. Guilt plagues him for being so drawn to Yuuri. What if he’s already met them, but ignored them because he’s so infatuated with the prince? What would his soulmate say if they found out he’s so drawn to another? Unless, of course, Yuuri is his soulmate. But Viktor knows the chances of that being the case are slim to none. He can’t hope. He shouldn’t hope.</p>
<p>“You’re staring.” Yuuri says suddenly, peering at Viktor from over his book.</p>
<p>“Am I?” Viktor asks, gazing straight into chocolate brown eyes.</p>
<p>“Yes. You are.” Yuuri affirms, a dusting of red gracing his features.</p>
<p>“I suppose it can’t be helped,” Viktor murmurs, leaning forward in the chair. He puts his elbows to his knees and his chin in his hands. “I want to know you, Yuuri.”</p>
<p>“I thought you’d have been given my profile.” Yuuri’s blush grows deeper.</p>
<p>“Oh, I was given your profile. But that’s not what I mean.” </p>
<p>“Then what do you mean?”</p>
<p>“I mean, I want to know who the <i>real</i> Katsuki Yuuri is.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure I follow.”</p>
<p>Viktor stands, moving to Yuuri. He kneels down at the side of the chair the other man sits in, leaning forward. “What are you like Yuuri?” Viktor questions, “I know what your allergies are. I know what your daily routines look like. But I don’t know <i>you</i>. Tell me Yuuri, have you ever had a secret lover? Have you met your soulmate yet? Who’s your best friend? What are the things that no one else knows about you?”</p>
<p>Yuuri fidgets in his seat, the book in his hands falling to the floor. His face is on fire, a response Viktor finds utterly adorable. “I uh...I’m not sure how to answer you…Must you know these things about all your clients?”</p>
<p>“I prefer knowing such things about my clients. It’s easier to guard a friend or a lover than it is to guard a stranger,” Viktor reaches over, picks the book up, and hands it back to the crown prince. </p>
<p>Yuuri takes it back, their fingers grazing each other as the book passes between them. A wave of electricity shoots through his arm, shaking him to his core. He becomes momentarily blinded by the absolute need to touch Yuuri again, but he holds himself back from taking the younger man’s chin in his hand. He doesn’t want to scare him off or jeopardize any possible relationship they may have. He doesn’t want to lose his job on the first day, either.</p>
<p>He looks at Yuuri, trying to decipher if he felt the same shock. And not for the first time, begins to wonder if they may be soulmates. He stares into the eyes of the man before him, and knows he’ll have difficulty maintaining a professional relationship. He’s already struggling with the impulse to touch the man in front of him. </p>
<p>It’s just that he feels something deep down telling him he should be draping his arms over the prince, pulling him close and just existing with each other. Like he should be in his personal space and know him on a far more intimate level than what the world considers appropriate. He knows he shouldn’t think about it, but as he gazes up at the crown prince, Viktor lets his thoughts about being Yuuri’s soulmate swirl in his head. He ignores the way his heart pounds in his chest, chalking it up to the hopes and dreams of a young boy from long ago, but deep down, he knows that his instincts are right. His soul is calling out for its mate, and Viktor very vehemently denies it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I gotta say, I'm really excited for this AU. It's something I've had stewing in my head since July, and I'm finally getting it cemented and shared. I have so many WIPs for YOI and Viktuuri that I just haven't given this one the time it deserves. I'm not too happy with the prologue though, so I may go back and make some edits to it. I had rushed to edit it before posting it. Thank you all so much for reading! And please let me know what you think so far in the comments!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This has been in the works for a while, but because of my time travel fic I've been ignoring it lol. If there's anything you've been dying to see in a mafia/royalty/bodyguard/soulmate au (wow that's a mouthful), please let me know! Thank you all for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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